DeRosa to return as Team USA manager at WBC
Published
Mark DeRosa will once again be in the dugout for the United States at the World Baseball Classic.
USA Baseball announced the return of DeRosa as manager for the 2026 edition.
Major League Baseball senior vice-president Michael Hill will return as general manager.
Team USA finished as runners-up to Japan in 2023.
"We are extremely excited to begin the 2026 World Baseball Classic process by welcoming Michael and Mark to our staff,” USA Baseball Executive CEO Paul Seiler said in a statement. “For nearly thirty years, Michael has taken on many key roles throughout Major League Baseball and has made an incredible impact on our game. Mark garnered respect from some of baseball’s biggest stars in 2023 and is a great fit to return to the U.S. dugout in 2026. We are ready and eager to begin building a championship roster to represent the United States in the World Baseball Classic."
A native of Cincinnati, the 54-year-old Hill played minor-league ball out of Harvard before joining the Tampa Bay Devil Rays front office in 1995. After a stint with the Colorado Rockies, Hill joined the Florida Marlins in 2002. He was promoted to president of baseball operations in 2013. Hill joined the league office in 2021.
DeRosa, 50, appeared in 1,241 career games over 16 big league seasons from 1998 to 2013 with the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals and Toronto Blue Jays.
After his retirement, DeRosa became an on-air personality for MLB Network. The 2023 WBC was DeRosa's first foray into management.
Team USA is set to compete in Pool B at next year's tournament alongside Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil. Play gets underway in Houston on Mar. 6.